Copilot is disabled by default. Turning it on for your team is a two-step process: first at the account level, then per individual user. This article walks through both steps, explains what users without access see, and covers common questions about the beta enablement.
Who this is for: Account administrators and alternative administrators. Non-admin users cannot enable Copilot for themselves or others.
The two-step enablement model
Copilot access is gated at two levels:
- Account level. SqlDBM enables Copilot for your account. This happens during the beta invitation process and is handled by your account manager.
- User level. You, as an administrator or alternative administrator, enable Copilot for each user who should have access. Other users on the account see no change until you turn them on.
Both steps must be complete before a user sees the Copilot panel in their workspace. This two-step model is deliberate. It ensures that account-wide readiness (security approvals, pilot terms, etc.) is confirmed before any individual user can start consuming AI credits.
Step 1: Confirm account-level enablement
You’ll know Copilot is enabled at the account level when:
- Your account manager has confirmed in writing that your account is active in the Copilot beta.
- An AI Copilot section appears in your account settings under Users and Permissions.
If you don’t see the AI Copilot section and you believe your account should be enabled, contact your account manager. This is not a self-serve step during beta.
Step 2: Enable Copilot for specific users
With account-level enablement in place:
- Open Account Settings from the top-right user menu.
- Navigate to Users and Permissions.
- Locate the AI Copilot column in the user list.
- Toggle Copilot on for each user who should have access. Changes apply immediately; the user sees Copilot in their workspace on their next page load.
- Toggle Copilot off for any user who should lose access. The user sees the Copilot icons disappear on refresh.
Recommended enablement patterns
Based on how teams are adopting Copilot during the beta, these patterns work well:
- Enable for modelers first. Users who already have edit rights to models benefit most from reverse engineering and bulk governance. Turn Copilot on for them before opening it up to read-only consumers.
- Leave read-only users off for now. Today, Copilot can propose changes that a read-only user wouldn’t be able to commit, but the user can still drive the prompt. Until read-only Copilot mode ships, keep it off for users whose main use case is asking questions.
- Start with a small pilot group. Enable for three to five users first. Collect feedback. Expand once you’ve seen the behavior on your team’s real projects.
- Keep a test-only separate environment if you have the option. Some teams prefer a separate account for early AI testing to keep production projects clean during experimentation. Your account manager can help set this up.
What users without access see
Users who don’t have Copilot enabled see no Copilot icons, no Copilot panel in the left-hand navigation, and no Generate with AI button in Reverse Engineering. If a user asks why they can’t access Copilot, direct them to you (their administrator). The enablement is something you control, not something they can request through the product.
Users who previously had Copilot and lost access (because an admin turned the toggle off) see the same state: the icons are gone. Any pre-prompts and settings they configured are preserved for when they’re re-enabled.
Beta enablement and your existing contract
Enabling Copilot during the beta does not change your existing SqlDBM license, MSA, or pricing. Specifically:
- No contract modification is required.
- No seat license impact. Copilot-enabled users still consume their existing seat.
- No billing change during the beta period.
- SqlDBM will provide written confirmation of these terms on request.
When Copilot moves out of beta, a credit-based consumption model will be introduced. Beta customers will be notified well in advance and will have the opportunity to run pricing scenarios before any commercial change takes effect. There is no automatic conversion from beta to paid usage.
For security and procurement teams: A full AI Security and Data Privacy documentation package is available on request to support internal AI approval processes. It covers AWS Bedrock architecture, zero-retention posture, SOC 2 coverage, and data residency. Contact your account manager or visit trust.sqldbm.com for the current version.
Upcoming admin controls
Additional controls are planned to give administrators finer management of Copilot usage:
- Per-user daily credit limits (planned; dates TBD). Cap how much Copilot consumption any individual user can drive in a single day.
- Read-only Copilot mode (planned; dates TBD). Allow consumers to ask questions without Copilot being able to propose schema changes.
- Bring Your Own Key (planned; dates TBD, enterprise only). Route Copilot processing through your own AWS Bedrock tenant for compliance and data residency requirements.
Related articles
- Getting started with Copilot
- Configuring Copilot settings and pre-prompts
- AI Security and Data Privacy
- Managing conversation history and the admin toggle